


Don't be a reckless fool

by Vixen86



Category: The Seven Realms Series - Cinda Williams Chima
Genre: 7 years prior to The Demon King, Arden - Freeform, Ardenine civil war, Child Abuse, F/M, Father-Son Relationship, Flash - Freeform, Mage, Mana - Freeform, Reckless Behavior, War, Wizard, enemy camp, standing up for someone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:55:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26949334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vixen86/pseuds/Vixen86
Summary: "Cursing himself for being a reckless fool indeed, he launched himself at the cove, startling him enough to release the boy. Dan even managed to get in a punch or two before that human-faced demon had gathered his wits and sent Dan sprawling to the ground."Dan Alister is away from home, fighting in the Ardenine civil war. One night, he tries to stand up for someone and ends up in a world of trouble.
Comments: 7
Kudos: 3





	Don't be a reckless fool

You knew marching season almost had come to an end, when peoples’ true colors started to show. The cruel became crueler, the cowards acted more cowardly, and the reckless were more reckless than ever. That’s how Dan Alister had ended up on enemy territory well after darkman’s hour. He wasn’t exactly acting under orders, but he figured he could quickly dispatch some enemies to the Breaker, and be back at basecamp before anyone had noticed he was gone. And if they did find out… Dan would be disciplined, of course, but he’d grown accustomed to that long since. He’d dug and cleaned more latrines than he would ever need to use, was made to stand for hours on end holding his sword over his head, and he’d gotten more than his fair share of lashings. The only thing his commanding officer, Captain Tomson, never did, was punish Dan’s family for their husband and father’s slipups by withholding his pay .

To Dan, being called into the Captain’s tent felt as if both of them were actors, performing in a familiar stage play. Rolling his eyes, and with just the right amount of exasperation, Tomson would say “ _Why_ is it, Alister, that you’re so set on making everyone’s life more difficult, including your own? With your smarts, you could’ve been an officer already, if not for your unrelenting bullheadedness and damned unwillingness to follow even the simplest orders.” In response, Dan would offer him his most winning smile, and shrug his shoulders, as if he just couldn’t help himself. After that, Tomson decided what disciplinary measures would be taken against him, always ending with “Do you accept your punishment, Alister?” That was Dan’s cue to humbly cast down his eyes and say “Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir.” Finally, Tomson would dismiss him by saying he never wanted to see him again, even though they both knew Dan would be back before long.

There was some commotion inside one of the tents near Dan’s hideout. He slunk back in the shadows as a boy, about fifteen years old, dashed outside, followed by a boot that narrowly missed his head. After that, an older, bulkier and _angrier_ version of the boy emerged, carrying a lantern. “Don’t you move!” the older one bellowed. The boy froze in place. As soon as the cove had caught up with him, he backhanded the boy across the face, with enough force to make him stagger back a few steps, and bring Dan’s blood to a boil. _Don’t be a reckless fool, Alister_ , he cautioned himself. It wasn’t any of his business how other people raised their children. Besides, he had his own family to think about.

By now, the yelling portion of this father-and-son episode had started. Apparently, the son had failed to clean His Royal Highness’s boots properly. “I ought to cut off your hands, since you in’t using them anyway,” the man screamed. With that, he placed his lantern on the ground, which Dan took as an omen that he meant business. _Bones._

Dan saw how the man yanked the boy’s arm towards him by the wrist, and seized his hand. Then, slowly, as if he was actually enjoying it, he bent the boy’s forefinger backwards. With the dry snap that followed, something broke loose inside Dan, too. Cursing himself for being a reckless fool indeed, he launched himself at the cove, startling him enough to release the boy. Dan even managed to get in a punch or two before that human-faced demon had gathered his wits and sent Dan sprawling to the ground. Initially, Dan had landed on his stomach, but the man turned him over and placed a knee on his chest. He gripped Dan’s hair with one hand and held the lantern over his head with the other, not only enabling himself to look at Dan’s face, but also showing his own.

It was just Dan’s luck the cove happened to be Yustin Karn. They hadn’t been formally introduced, for which Dan was grateful, but he recognized Karn by the uneven scar across his throat, from that one time someone had made an attempt on his life. Dan dearly wished they had tried harder.

It was said that Karn had killed the assassin with the man’s own blade, and made the unfortunate soldiers who stood watch that night, and somehow had survived the attack, drink the would-be murderer’s blood, before killing them, too. Looking into the man’s soulless eyes, Dan had no doubt every word of that was true.

“Well, in’t that great,” Karn said gleefully. Dan could smell the stingo on his breath, complemented by the aroma of rotting teeth. _No doubt the ladies would be fighting in the streets over this one._

Karn was all but salivating with excitement. “By the look of your piss-colored hair, I’d say yer a northern demon. I’m sure we have a lot to talk about.” This was followed by a dull thud, and then, Dan’s lights went out.

Some time later, Dan awoke to darkness, thirst, and pain. He wasn’t sure where he was, but he suspected there would be enough time to familiarize himself with his surroundings. Neither did he know how much time had passed since Karn had slammed his head to the ground, and had knocked him out cold. Since there were still parts of his body that had been left unharmed, it probably hadn’t been that long. Still, his tongue felt like a dry strip of leather in his mouth, and the darkness around him was thick enough to eat with a spoon, as his wife would say. He had a splitting headache, and likely a lump the size of a goose egg at the back of his head. His ankle felt as if it might be broken, or at least sprained. But other than that, he was none the worse for wear. Yet.

Having nothing but time on his hands, Dan’s mind wandered to his home back in Ragmarket, and to his wife, Sali, whose blond hair and blue eyes resembled the endless barley fields in Tamron, which were studded with cornflowers.

Dan wondered what Sali would have to say about his current situation. He decided it would be best for both of them if she didn’t know. She was always telling him to be more careful, not to take unnecessary risks. Over the years it had become a ritual of sorts that, on the night before he had to leave again, Sali would sit behind him, and trace the web of scars on his back with her fingers, almost as if she were taking inventory. “Don’t be a reckless fool, Daniel,” she’d whisper in his ear. His wife was the only person who ever called him that. “Keep your head down, and come home to me.”

Every time, he promised her he would, and he truly intended to keep that promise. This time there was all the more incentive to follow through on it, because just days before his return to the front Sali had told him she was expecting their second child. _Guess my word is worth about as much as Ardenine coin_ , Dan thought, letting out a bitter chuckle.

From Sali, his thoughts drifted to their son, Han, who was about nine years old, and already too clever for his own good. With Han, they had a ritual of their own. On his last day at home, Dan would take him to the Smiling Dog tavern, where he would buy him an ale. Admittedly, it had been mostly water when they had started this custom, but progressively contained more ale as his son grew older. Dan would tell him stories about life on the battlefield, and Han, in turn, would talk about everyday life in Ragmarket. Their conversations always ended the same way, no matter the topic. “You take care of your Mam while I’m gone,” Dan would say sternly, squeezing Han’s shoulder. He hated having to ask this of his son, who was still too young to bear such a burden. But whether Dan liked it or not, Han was the man around the house in his absence, and thus needed to act accordingly. “Make sure she don’t work too hard, and don’t make no trouble for her, you hear?”

Han would nod fiercely, ready to do battle for his Mam, and eager to make his Da proud. Dan hoped his son was better at keeping promises than him. He hoped his family was getting by without him around, that they were keeping each other safe, that Sali wasn’t being too hard on their boy.

What was it again, that Sali always said about hopes, or wishes, or some such?

The creak of a door being opened forced Dan to return to his current location, wherever that may be. Dan could see a dark figure standing in the doorway, not too tall and stocky, from what he could tell. His visitor had a torch in hand, and Dan squeezed his eyes shut against the blinding light. He heard some sound, probably the torch being mounted on the wall. Slowly, he opened his eyes again to let them adjust to the sudden abundance of brightness, and see who had decided to keep him company.

It was the boy, Karn’s son. Dan took a closer look at his face and sucked in air through his teeth. The boy had a split lip, two black eyes, and, judging by his wheezing breaths, a broken nose.

Dan wondered whether Yustin Karn had sent his offspring to do his job for him, but he reckoned the older Karn wouldn’t pass up a good torture opportunity. So what had brought Karn junior here, then? It seemed the boy was clueless about that himself, because he just stood there, awkwardly. Dan noticed he had a waterskin with him, but he didn’t dare to hope he’d get some of that. Karn was either a mind reader, or he’d caught Dan’s look, because he wordlessly handed the waterskin to him.

As Dan took a big gulp, the boy blurted “You’re a mage,” using the southern term for wizard. Dan snorted. “I most certainly an’t.” _A gutter-swiving fool, is what I am_. Out loud, he asked “What makes you think so?”

“I can see your glow,” young Karn replied. Dan looked at him worriedly. It was clear he had taken multiple blows to the head. What if one of those had caused… internal damage?

The boy opened and closed his mouth a few times, unsure on how to proceed. “The thing is… I’m one myself.” It took Dan a moment to understand what he meant. “I have too much mana, it just won’t stop leaking. The glow is getting brighter, too, so it’s only a matter of time before… they will _know_. And then…” He shuddered. “If they ever find out, they’ll – You know what they do to mages in the south?” His voice caught on that. “They burn them alive.”

He looked at Dan, obviously seeking guidance, but Dan had no idea what he could do for him, or how the boy even got the notion he’d be able to help.

Dan studied the boy’s bruised face. He couldn’t do anything about the mana thing, which he figured was the southern word for flash, but maybe he _could_ help him with his physical injuries. Starting with the broken digit.

“How’s that hand of yours?” he asked. The boy took a step back. “Hey, now,” Dan said in his most soothing voice, “I an’t gonna hurt you. Only wanna have a look, all right?” Cautiously, Karn held out his right hand to him. The forefinger was a study in blue in purple, three times its regular size, and bent at an odd angle. Just as he’d suspected, no one had tended to it yet. “You really should go see a healer about that.” The boy swallowed and shook his head. “No need. My da says it’s… character-building.”

“Well, your da can go sw…” Dan began furiously, but he stopped himself just in time. It would do the boy no good to have a fire ignited inside him, only to be trampled out violently by the brute who sired him. So instead, he said, “Give me your hand. Let’s see if I can set the bone.” Dan was in darbies, of course, and chained to the wall, but his hands were fastened in front of him whatever reason, and the chain did allow for _some_ room to move. Apparently, he’d won Karn’s trust, because he did as instructed without hesitation. “Not gonna lie, boy, this will hurt,” Dan said before he gave the finger a firm tug and clicked the bone back into place. Karn’s scream ricocheted off the walls and his eyes rolled back in agony. That was to be expected. What Dan hadn’t expected, though, was the sharp pain he’d felt himself in that moment, and the sudden wave of nausea that followed it. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths, with Karn’s hand still between his own.

“Stop that, before you pass out,” the boy hissed, pulling back his hand. _I must be going crazy_ , Dan thought, because the words didn’t make any sense to him. But at least he seemed to have succeeded in setting the bone. “Tie your forefinger and middle finger together with a strip of cloth, whenever you can,” Dan advised. “Not too tight, though, and flex that finger regularly, too. You don’t want it to go all stiff.” Karn gave him a small grateful smile. Dan brought his manacled hands to his forehead to wipe off sweat. He felt inexplicably drained. Was he really in such a bad shape that even the smallest physical effort would do that to him? All of a sudden, he wanted nothing more than for the boy to leave, as much for the boy’s sake as his own. He suspected young Karn’s father didn’t know he was here, and wouldn’t exactly approve of it if he did. “You should go now,” Dan said resolutely. “Take care of yourself, and don’t you come back here. That’ll only cause trouble, for you and me both.” It looked as if Karn wanted to say something, but couldn’t find the right words, so he left in silence.

After that, there were more darkness, more thirst, and more pain.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
